FYI: You Are Not Special Anymore
Remember how back in elementary school, you were taught that you were special, like a snowflake?
Well, I have some bad news for you. You are unique, yes. Everyone is made up of a special combination of skills and personality traits that ensures that no two humans are alike.
However, because we are all unique, no one is special, not even you.
My parents (unlike some other parents — see Helicopter Parents and Parent-Driven Child-Entitlement Syndrome) always told me that I was unique and was really good at things, but they always reminded me that “…someone will always be better than you at XYZ skill. That is why you work as hard as you can.”
Is not being special such a bad thing?? No. Not really. Why would I crush your dreams like this? WHY!?
Simple. Employers want employees who are confident, but not arrogant. One must be humble, yet learn the proper way to approach people about jobs and internships, and learn how to sell oneself in an interview. This takes LOTS of practice. Trust me.
Another thing that we in career services see on a daily basis that must stop (other than the arrogance), is impatient people emailing employers demanding that they pass along information either about a job posting or demanding that someone pass their resume along to a human resources person. I feel like this also stems from the arrogance previously pointed out.
Does this mean it is wrong to ask an alum or contact to pass along your information? No. By all means, ask. However, it is HOW you ask that is very, very important. Again, this is something that takes practice. When in doubt, send the email to us at Career Services first! We will make sure your email hits the right “tone” before you send it along to a potential employer.
So – Lessons to learn from this?
- Arrogance never sells. Learn how to properly curb your confidence and sell yourself in the RIGHT way. Set up a meeting with a career adviser to do a mock interview first.
- Emails last forever, so don’t be pushy. Again, email it to us first. Tone is everything and we want to make sure you get it right.
- You are an adult, therefore your parents should never contact (phone or email) anyone on your behalf… not even the University. I know they do it because they love you, but at some point, you have to cut them off. Now is the best time to start.
- Patience is a requirement, not just a virtue. When emailing or calling about internships or jobs, learn to give people a couple of weeks to send you a response. That person is probably really busy (since they work full-time) and to be quite blunt, you are not a priority. Give people at least 2 weeks to answer. If, after two weeks, you hear nothing, then politely follow up to see if they received your first email.
